English Channel swim has been a lure for Roka

Since her early days of college, Heather Roka has been fascinated by The English Channel.

After a hard training session, she and her Gardner-Webb teammates wondered if they could be good enough, tough enough to conquer it.

“That put the bug in me,” she said. “It seemed like a great challenge.”

Many call swimming the English Channel the greatest of the long-distance challenges. In more than 140 years, less than 1,500 individuals have done it. Swimmers literally start in one country (England) and end in another (France).

That fascination stayed with Roka for more than 12 years until she saved some money, competed in lengthy open-water swims and trained to deal with the frigid conditions.

After waiting, her wait may soon be over.

Friday, Roka, 31, flew to London with her sister, Lyndsey Mitchel, Gardner-Webb teammate Isabel Houlzet and husband, Dean. She’s been given her window to swim the channel between Monday and Aug. 28.

She could receive a call at any time – 1 a.m. or 1 p.m. – during the week. Her pilot will give her about an hour warning.

There is the possibility the call never will come because of tides and currents. However, there are provisions that allow Roka to stay beyond Aug. 28 if she needs to.

“It’s definitely teaching me patience,” Roka said. “Now that we’re getting so much closer, I’m anxious to go. There’s so much training and preparation to go over, I have to stay calm and not get frustrated.”

The former Fort Myers High star has built a pretty good resume to help her navigate the 21-mile swim.

Roka competed at Gardner-Webb where she won Northeast Conference championships in the 50- and 1,650-meter freestyle.

Over the past decade, she has turned her attention to open water. In April, Roka won the Tampa Bay Marathon Swim.

Since May, the traveling physical therapist has competed in sub-60 degree temperatures while training and working in Connecticut. Her regular training spot had been the Long Island Sound.

“Heather does what Heather wants to do,” said Don Henshaw who coached Roka along with wife, Connie, with the Gulf Coast Swim Team. “She’s just that type of kid.”

Naples’ Ed Boaz, who put together a fundraiser for Roka with Ginger Tompkins and Shannon Cutting, said, “The English Channel is a big deal. I’m a hack swimmer. The others are really good – but this is another level.”

Mysteries of the sea

The English Channel is the body of water that separates southern England from northern France and links the southern part of the North Sea to the Atlantic Ocean.

Swimming the English Channel | Dover.UK.com

From its infancy, marathon open-water swimming has a macabre past. Capt. Matthew Webb became the first person to complete the channel in 1875. It took him 21 hours, 45 minutes.

Eight years later, when offered $12,000 pounds to swim across the Niagara River below Niagara Falls, Webb took the challenge. However, the current swept him away and he drowned.

In 1927, The Channel Swimming Association was founded and is internationally recognized to observe and authenticate channel swims. The Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation, who Roka signed with, came into existence later.

About the CSA | Channel Swimming Association

Since Webb accomplished the feat, only 2,172 other individuals and teams have swam the channel, according to the CSA. It notes that just 1,448 individuals have made it.

More people have climbed Mt. Everest.

Why is that?

• The biggest may be cost. Between training, paying for channel entry fees, hiring a pilot and crew, flying to England and staying in a hotel, Roka’s cost will run from $15,000 to $20,000. Because of the limited number of pilots qualified to take swimmers across the channel, they must book up to two years in advance.
• The water is cold, anywhere from 58 to 64 degrees. The risk of hypothermia is high. Meanwhile, swimmers are limited to a regular swimsuit, one cap and a set of ear plugs “for the integrity” of the challenge, Roka said.

“When you’re in the water nine, 10 hours or more, your body is cold and nothing is working that well,” she said. “Every few minutes you have to keep moving your fingers or they’ll go numb.

“But I love the cold water. It hurts when you first get in, there’s a weird, burning sensation. But once I’m used to it, I don’t have joint pain.”

• While the swim is 21 miles, it’ll usually be 25 or more because of the tide and currents. Waves and winds can take a swimmer off course. Saltwater wears down the body, face and lips. Chafing becomes an issues because of the repetitive movements. There’s also a good chance of being stung by jellyfish while seaweed and the occasional plank of wood can be detriments.

 “I’ve prepared for the worst,” Roka said. “I’m prepared to swim 30 miles and be in the water for 15, 16 hours.

“People have said physically, I won’t have much of problem. But mentally, you’re swimming in the dark for several hours. It gets wavy, it’s not flat and there’s about eight hours in a rough swim. You have to dig deep because you won’t get sleep.”

English Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation CS&PF Home Page

If Roka touches the boat at any point in the race before finishing, she’s disqualified.

Why Roka can do it

In 2012, Roka swam her first marathon in Key West. After the 12½-mile race, she told her mom, “I’ll never do the English Channel.”

After a year and a half of training, she took on a handful of 5- to 9-mile events.

Then came the biggee – the 24-mile Tampa Bay Marathon Swim.

Early in the race, she dealt with a headwind and her pacesetter falling from her kayak. Roka had a winning time of 11 hours, 16 minutes.

“I learned so much,” she said. “I had to feed myself every 45 minutes. I also had to increase my training.”

In May, Roka moved to Connecticut and connected with internationally known swimmers Marcy MacDonald and Elizabeth Fry. They both swam the channel.

She also learned to compete in water temperatures that were either under 60 degrees. With her physical therapist background she has done thera-band work on her shoulders for stability while strengthening her core.

When Roka returned to Southwest Florida last week, she found she has a pretty good following.

Last Sunday, members of the open-water community held a fundraiser for her at the Naples Country Club. The eclectic gathering spot on U.S. 41 in North Naples led to some interesting responses.

“Somebody said ‘I’m not a member’,” Boaz said with a laugh. “Another said, ‘Hey man, I’m not sure what to wear.’ I said, ‘Don’t worry about it.’

“Heather is so low key. She said, ‘You don’t have to.’ I said, ‘I Understand. I wouldn’t ask for me. But I’ll ask all day for you.”

Cutting added, “We wanted to wish her well. A lot of us are in awe.”

There’s another group of people who mean a lot to Roka. Those are patients she treats who’ve had strokes or spinal cord injuries.

People like Bob Henshaw, Don’s brother, who is a quadriplegic after a bike accident.

Quadriplegic wants to return home

When Roka is near the end of her race and not sure if she can finish, she just may flashback to moments when she helped those people persevere.

“So many have inspired me,” she said. “Many can’t even sit upright or walk but they trust me enough. They’re tired, they’re hurting, they’re terrified of falling but they keep pushing. Then some walk out after all the work.

“When I see that, there’s nothing I can complain about. Then I realize, ‘I can push harder, too.’ “

Roka’s Go Fund Me Page

The open-water community has started a Go Fund Me Page for Heather Roka, who aims to swim the English Channel.

Here is the link: https://www.gofundme.com/44vlals